DUSHANBE, September 4, 2014, Asia-Plus — According to the National Bank of Tajikistan (NBT), most banks in Tajikistan are interested in introducing the Islamic banking principles in their work.
An official source at Tajik central bank says Tajikistan’s economy today has an urgent needs for investments and the Islamic banking principles are expected to promote extending a range of banking transactions, finding new sources of external financing and internal deposits.
According to him, a group of specialists is currently working out draft amendments to a number of the country’s laws. “These amendments will promote organization of the Islamic banking regulation mechanism,” the source added.
We will recall that Tajikistan’s lower house (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of parliament passed the draft law on Islamic banking in Tajikistan on May 14 this year and it came into force on August 5.
Islamic banking is a banking activity that is consistent with the principles of Sharia and its practical application through the development of Islamic economics. Sharia prohibits the fixed or floating payment or acceptance of specific interest or fees (known as riba, or usury) for loans of money. Investing in businesses that provide goods or services considered contrary to Islamic principles is also haraam (“sinful and prohibited”). Although these principles have been applied in varying degrees by historical Islamic economies due to lack of Islamic practice, only in the late 20th century were a number of Islamic banks formed to apply these principles to private or semi-private commercial institutions within the Muslim community.
Islamic banking has the same purpose as conventional banking: to make money for the banking institute by lending out capital. But that is not the sole purpose either. Adherence to Islamic law and ensuring fair play is also at the core of Islamic banking. Because Islam forbids simply lending out money at interest, Islamic rules on transactions (known as Fiqh al-Muamalat) have been created to prevent it. The basic principle of Islamic banking is based on risk-sharing which is a component of trade rather than risk-transfer which is seen in conventional banking.
Islamic banks reportedly have more than 300 institutions spread over 51 countries, including the United States through companies such as the Michigan-based University Bank, as well as an additional 250 mutual funds that comply with Islamic principles.
